SM Entertainment’s new girl group Hearts2Hearts (H2H) debuted February 24, 2025. They’re SM’s first new girl group since aespa debuted back in 2020. SM has been on the decline following the departure of founder Lee Soo-Man. Some insiders are curious if H2H can help turn things around. My answer to that question is a hard no.
That has nothing to do with the group itself. The members are talented, but the real issue is with SM. It’s about the way the company manages its artists and its long track record of letting momentum slip away.
The Ballad of EXO
At one point, EXO was among the biggest boy groups in K-pop. Then three of the four Chinese members left, accusing SM of mistreatment and unfair contracts. Instead of addressing the problems, SM went on the attack.
The company painted those members as traitors. People who had betrayed not just EXO, but also the company, the remaining members, and the fans. Those comments alienated the fans that still supported them. SM splintered EXO’s fanbase when the group needed fans to be united the most. The group survived, but their momentum never fully recovered.
f(x): Innovation Left to Wither
f(x) should have been a breakthrough group. Their experimental electropop sound was ahead of its time. They had a quirky, gender-fluid aesthetic that made them stand out. They performed at SXSW, collaborated with Funny or Die. They had a real shot at breaking into the Western market.
Yet SM never gave f(x) the push they gave to their other groups. Long hiatuses and inconsistent promotions left the group drifting. Technically, they haven’t disbanded, but f(x) has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2017. For fans, the silence has been as loud as any official breakup.
Fumbling the Bag With NCT 127
When NCT 127 released “Kick It,” the timing was perfect. The song went viral in early 2020 with its martial arts concept and sharp hip-hop sound. Fans and casual listeners alike were hooked. How did SM react? By waiting over a year to release a follow-up.
By the time Sticker arrived, it was an even bigger hit in spite of SM than because of them. The album was a commercial success, yet SM failed again to capitalize on the moment. The group should have been building nonstop on “Kick It’s” viral energy. Instead they were left idle while the group was at its peak.
Hearts2Hearts Can’t Fix SM’s Biggest Problem
These aren’t isolated cases, they reveal a pattern. SM’s issue isn’t talent. It isn’t concepts. It’s management. Time and again, the company debuts artists with explosive potential. Then they undercut their potential with poor timing, lack of promotion, or damaging public battles.
That’s why Hearts2Hearts can’t save SM. No matter how good they are, no group can overcome a system that fails to sustain success.
If SM Entertainment truly wants these girls to succeed, the solution isn’t in the group’s concept, music, or talent. It’s whether SM can finally break its own cycle of mismanagement. Otherwise, Hearts2Hearts will eventually become the latest victim of SM’s dysfunction.
